


In a Fraction of a Second

by orphan_account



Series: Matter of Time [1]
Category: Criminal Minds, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Ending, Episode: s08e12 Zugzwang, Hostage Situations, Kidnapping, M/M, Murder, Mutants, Obsession, Stalking, Time - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-30
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-17 04:25:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5854147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part One of a series debuting from an alternate ending to Criminal Minds episode Zugzwang where Spencer is dating Remy and Maeve is simply a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In a Fraction of a Second

What would Remy do? Spencer asked himself. How would Gambit handle the situation? 

No answers came to mind, the agent could not concentrate on much. He was not thinking of the sharp manicured nails that grasped his left shoulder, or the cool metal of the gun that dug into his back. All he was thinking of was his stupidity of denying his boyfriend’s offer from earlier in the day to help save Maeve from her stalker. 

Idiot, idiot, idiot!

Then he felt the temperature drop, they must have arrived in the loft. “Can I take the blindfold off?” He asked instinctively. Diane’s reply was instant, cold and sharp, as if she had been expecting it.

“No.” Her voice was dominant and authoritative, leaving no room for debate. Diane was in complete control of the situation and she knew it, it could prove to make her dangerous. Her grasp on Spencer’s left shoulder was released and the gun was removed from where it was aimed at his back. But soon, a hand came back to his chest and pushed him down and back into a chair. The creaking the seat made when the agent sat down echoed throughout the room. The silence hung heavy over them in the tense atmosphere.

“Hello?” Spencer called out tentatively to the silent loft. He was scared, no, petrified. He thought of Remy and how mad he’ll be when he hears of how his boyfriend willingly placed himself in danger for a woman he wrote letters to.

“Hi.” Maeve’s gentle voice answered quietly. The agent’s stomach dropped upon the confirmation that the woman that came to love as a sister was also in the same room.  


You can do this, Spencer coaxed. You can both save Maeve and get out of here.

“I was hoping you'd figure out my riddle.” Diane purred in his ear, interrupting the brief exchange between the two doctors. A hand reached towards the opening of his shirt, the other resting on his right shoulder with the gun. “I mean, I knew you would.” That hand was now creeping down and running playfully over his chest and Spencer’s panic increased. “The fun was just how fast you’d do it.” Spencer bit his lips in attempt to retain the gasp that wanted to escape his lips as her hands swept across his nipples. “All this and brains, too.” Diane gloated.

Charm her, Spencer finally recalled details from their profile. She wants recognition, she wants what she thinks Maeve has.

“It took me a long time.” Spencer vocalized while trying not to let Maeve and Diane know how truly terrified he really was. All he knew was that he wanted the stalker’s hands off of him. “To be honest, I was distracted by your thesis.” 

Her hands froze, then slid immediately off of him and Spencer couldn’t help but sigh in relief. “You read my thesis?” Diane’s tone was doubtful. Footsteps were heard and he assumed that Diane had moved in front of him to look at him face to face.

“I did.” He confirmed. Spencer’s voice wasn’t half as shaky as he thought it would sound. He had to be brave and negotiate Maeve and himself out of here. “You know, I think your writing puts you on the same plane as Jonas Salk.” He fibbed, the lie tasting sour in his mouth but he knew it had to be said. “I've already sent it to the NIH.”

“Flattery is not gonna get you out of this.” Diane sounded slightly aggravated and Spencer worried that her gun was still trained on him, poised to shoot. He knew there was still a chance that he could get her to believe him. “I know what's waiting for me outside.” 

“I've arranged for your freedom.” Spencer lied once again with as much confidence as he could muster after swallowing dryly and heavily. 

“The federal government doesn't make deals with people like me.” Her doubt was palpable, he was telling lies that even he would never believe. But he had to at least try, for Maeve, for himself, and for Remy, he had to try.

“Not true. Nazi scientists were recruited for the Manhattan project.” He stated firmly despite the shakiness in his hands. He racked his brain for previous exceptions made by the government. “Mafia bosses are regularly put into witness protection. If what you have is valuable enough, the federal government will work with you.” He took deep breaths before continuing. “And what you have is very valuable.”

“And what do I have, doctor?” Diane questioned him. He could hear now that she was interested in what he had to say, but the cool feeling of the gun returned. This time, to his throat. Terror gripped him, he could die at any second now.

“You have a brain that doesn't play by normal societal rules.” The double meaning to it at least it didn’t make it feel like a lie to Spencer. “And I know that all your life, the people you care about the most keep leaving. There's a part of you that thinks it's because of that brain.” He put sympathy into his voice for that because he truly did empathize with her from experience. “Well, I'm here because I'm not going to leave you. I'm here because,” He took a shaky breath during the pregnant pause. “I just hope that I can get the chance-”

“Chance of what?” Diane interrupted impatiently as Spencer felt the gun lower from his neck. What he was to say next had to be said he reminded himself in attempt to comfort his mind.

She wants what she thinks Maeve has, his brain reminded. You.

“To be with you.” Spencer nearly choked on the words. Repulsion grew in him, expanding from his chest. His heart ached for Remy, to apologize for his words, even if he hadn’t meant then. “Me for her. That was the deal, right?” He reminded the stalker.

“You're choosing me over her?” Diane’s disbelief was obvious, but there was an underlying tone of cruel glee. Spencer put all effort into not looking away from her eyes where there was a dangerous gleam. 

“Diane,” The agent found it in himself to voice despite his terror. “How could it be anyone else?”

“Prove it.” That was a demand, not up for debate. A shiver ran through Spencer and he regretted his decision to not roll down his sleeves before handing himself over to the unsub.

“All right.” He agreed, but he had no answer as to how he was to do that. He was sitting blindfolded and chilled in a loft. “How?”

“Say it again.” Diane growled, her voice moving towards his side as footsteps also echoed. “This time say it to her face.” The blindfold was torn from his eyes. He blinked as they adapted to the light, then finally laid them on Maeve. There was an obvious terror in her eyes alongside the tears and she shook ever so slightly. She was reacting the way Spencer wanted to, but he couldn’t. He had to get them out of here.

“I don't love you.” He said as blatantly as he could after looking deeply into her eyes. Maeve didn’t react, she didn’t flinch or shiver as he had expected her to. “Sorry.” He couldn’t help the apology that followed, his voice shook with guilt from that single word. The agent desperately hoped that Diane didn’t process how he sounded.

“I understand.” Maeve nodded her head just the slightest. Relief flooded through Spencer, the geneticist understood that what he was doing was all in hopes of getting them out of here alive.

“I don't need her anymore.” Diane decided maliciously. Spencer watched in horror as she stepped out from behind him, gun in hand as she walked towards Maeve. Thoughts were difficult to process as the gun was cocked and placed against the victim’s head.

Revenge is part of the motive, Spencer’s brain supplied. Make this feel like it isn’t a sufficient revenge.

“Kill her and she won't have to live with the fact that you're smarter.” Spencer uttered quickly, he feared desperately for Maeve’s life. Diane turned around intrigued. “Let her live with her irrelevancy.” Remorse hit him as soon as those words lefts his mouth. But they had to be said, he had to get the geneticist out of here and he wanted desperately to see his boyfriend once again.

A tremor of relief ran through the agent when the unsub lowered the gun from Maeve’s temple and pulled out a pair of pliers as she dropped into a crouch. The left hand was cut free and the geneticist rubbed at the irritated red skin on her wrist. “I just want her to see one more thing.” Diane decided as she stood and stalked towards Spencer once more. His eyes slammed shut in fear and he thought of Remy.

This is it, his brain provided hopelessly. She’s going to murder you right in front of Maeve. I’ll never see my boyfriend again.

Spencer opened his eyes once more as Diane crouched to his right. He turned his head as she examined him. All of a sudden, her lips attached themselves to his. The agent allowed himself the slightest gasp before attempting to return the passion that the stalker was putting into the kiss. That itself was a difficult task as the woman terrified him and there was the simple fact that Spencer was attracted to the opposite sex. In mid-kiss, Diane opened her eyes and glared at him. 

“Liar.” She growled as she pulled away, stopping only inches away from his own face. There was an indescribable emotion on her face, an odd mixture of betrayal and understanding. “Liar!” She shouted, this time with raw anger and an obvious threat of danger. She whipped out the gun and aimed it at his chest. Terror and instincts gripped Spencer. His arms reached out and forced the gun upwards, in the nick of time, as she pulled the trigger. 

Then began the battle for the weapon. Arms pushed back at the agent as he attempted to hold his ground. He could see Maeve slide her remaining arm out of the zip tie that bound her to the chair and run to the far end of the room, away from the two and unfortunately, away from the only exit. In that brief moment of distraction, Diane was able to force the gun downwards and before he could register it, a bullet tore clean through Spencer’s left arm. His knees buckled as he fell downwards with a pained cry, but was forced back up by a rough grip in his hair.

“Stay back!” Spencer cried as his team entered with their weapons in hand and an arm wrapped itself around his throat while a gun was forced to the side of his head. “Stay back! Stay back!” Tears were now running down his face, between the pain and the stress, he couldn’t hold back anything anymore. “Stay back! Stay back!” He saw the fear in the unit’s faces as they realized that one of their own was being held hostage by the stalker. “Diane,” Spencer’s voice was now pleading, almost begging. “Diane, there's still a way out of this.”

“You never wanted me.” Spencer desperately hoped that Diane, who verged on hysterical, had forgotten about Maeve who stood a few feet behind them silently. “Never!” She shrieked. His breathing became somewhat erratic as she shook him and pushed the gun harder into his temple. “You lied!” 

“I didn't.” Spencer gasped as her grip around his throat tightened. The situation was steadily going downhill. Whatever could go bad, was going bad. That proved to be true when realization struck Diane.

“Maeve.” She growled. “Place yourself between myself and the feds.” No one moved for a few moments. A twisted dark calm overtook Diane, and Spencer could feel the change in demeanor. “Place yourself between me and the feds.” She repeated once more. “Before I kill your boyfriend.” The geneticist scurried to place herself between the two opposing sides in attempt to prolong the agent’s life as much as she could. “Good, now don’t move.”

“Diane, I offered you a deal and you can still take it.” Spencer was trying for anything at this point. He saw Hotch take a step towards them and for a split second, his vision flickered. The agent brushed it aside as adrenaline, pain and the pressure. “Me for her.” He pleaded, begging that she’d respect the previous deal.

“You think I’m going to let go of the situation now?” Spencer slowly turned his trembling head and was startled by the fluorescent specks of light speckling Diane’s eyes in flashes and bursts of energy that hadn't been present before. “Just when I’m in control of the situation?” The agent snapped his head back to his team, his heart beating a million miles an hour. 

Mutant, Spencer realized. She’s a mutant and she’s holding me hostage.

Judging by the unit’s reactions, they had made the connection as well. Morgan tensed and he lifted his gun slightly once again to aim at Diane as he looked to Hotch for orders, for something to do to get his best friend out this damn loft. JJ’s eyes widened as the information perceived registered while Rossi cursed in Italian. Blake shook her head in disbelief, blinking as if the situation would change if she could just not trust her eyes. It was no aid to Spencer’s fear as he watched his unit chief struggle to find a solution to this impossible situation.

“Diane,” His boss ventured hesitantly with a step towards Maeve. Spencer’s vision flickered once more and he feared it might be caused by the stress placed on the unsub which in turn affected her mutation.

Why hadn’t I agreed to Remy’s? Spencer scolded his stupidity. Why couldn’t I have just swallowed my pride for once?

“Step back.” She ordered unyieldingly. Hotch had no choice but to obey by retreating a few steps without the geneticist. Maeve still stood trembling in the middle of the room unable to see Spencer as she faced the federal agents. “I suppose,” The unsub drawled out cruelly. “It’s time we make our departure.”

Diane directed the gun's aim from Spencer to the vulnerable geneticist and took a single shot that echoed throughout the room. Spencer’s face contorted into expressions of pain, grief, and despair. Rossi raced towards Maeve alongside Blake while Morgan and Hotchner ignored all that they were taught about handling situations with mutants and sprinted towards the unsub. JJ stood shocked, helplessly watching as a blue light enveloped Diane and her hostage before they disappeared into thin air in front of the team's very eyes. 

In a fraction of a second, Diane had escaped with Spencer before Maeve’s body had even hit the ground.


End file.
